From Hate to Something More
by VMaddict
Summary: Veronica and Logan's relationship starting when he showed up at her door in Mars vs Mars.
1. Chapter One

I don't own Veronica Mars or most of the dialogue in this chapter. Please don't sue!

He had only meant to go for a walk to clear his head so he didn't know how he ended up at Veronica's house. Then again, he believed his mother was still alive and if anyone could find her, it was Veronica.

To say she looked surprised when she found him on her doorstep so late at night would be an understatement. "Logan, what are you doing here?"

Choosing to ignore her surprised expression, he cut right to the chase. "I want you to find my mother." The look he received made him add, "Relax, I'm not asking you to drag the lake." He looked around to ensure they weren't being watched and added, "My mother didn't really kill herself."

He was almost expecting her to slam the door in his face. He wouldn't blame her. After all, he had been a complete ass to her since Lilly died. So, he was taken off guard when she invited him in.

"Veronica, she's not dead."

"What makes you think she's still alive?"

"Why does everyone assume that she's not? I mean, there's no body." he retorted defensively.

"What about the woman who saw her jump? It's been on every channel."

"Well if she was on the TV she must be telling the truth." He knew it wasn't a good time to be sarcastic, but he couldn't help it. It came second nature to him. "But her credit cards were missing. Doesn't that seem like, I don't know, a clue? You don't jump off a bridge with your platinum card."

"Logan, I-."

"I know my mother!" he snapped. He was getting sick of these questions.

"Okay. I heard she left a note."

He sighed. 'I came to ask for her help and now I'm yelling at her. That's great incentive to get her help, Logan. Everyone thinks Mom is dead. Obviously, Veronica's going to need some sort of reason to go about proving otherwise,' he silently berated himself.

"She wants people to think she's dead. But if she was going to really do the deed she would use Chardonnay and sleeping pills. She wouldn't risk being found bug eyed and bloated in some shrimp net."

Veronica had to admit, Logan made a good point. Mrs. Echolls was always seen with a glass of Chardonnay in her hand and by the amount of plastic surgery she had done, it was clear that she was obsessed with her looks. It was enough to make her suspicious of the whole situation. "I'll see what I can find out."

Logan turned his back to Veronica and started for the door but turned around and said, "You know I just need to know that she's okay." Then he turned and walked out the door feeling a sense of relief that soon he would be reunited with his mother.

As Veronica watched Logan leave, she reflected on his final words. She knew how it felt not to know if her mother was okay and it tore her up inside. All she wanted was to see her mother once and be told that she's okay. Even if it wasn't possible for her now, maybe she could make it possible for Logan.

A/N: So a lot of the dialogue used on the show will be in my story, especially the first few chapters. But, if you hang in there, it will go in a different direction.


	2. Chapter Two

He got a message from Veronica to meet her in the AV room. He prayed that meant that she had gotten some information about his mother's disappearance. When he arrived, he was surprised to see her there with Weevil and some freshman he had never seen before. Deciding to play if off casual, he greeted them "Hey, you paged?"

"Seems Hart here has something to show us." Veronica explained, indicating the freshman next to her. "Spill."

Hart, obviously nervous (who wouldn't be with Weevil breathing down their neck) started babbling about the movie he was making with his friends. Logan wasn't paying much attention because he didn't understand how it concerned him. Then he played the tape.

'Man why is this kid wasting his time making this crappy movie? Obviously, he and his friends can't act and the movie is totally lacking special effects. This is the most pitiful thing I've ever seen! What am I doing here?'

"Did you see it?" Hart asked.

Rolling his eyes, Logan replied, "yeah, it sucks and?"

"Rewind it. Play it frame by frame." Again, Logan rolled his eyes. Veronica really didn't need to be humoring this kid and wasting his time.

"There, on the right side of the screen." Hart pointed to the bridge as something was falling into the water. Logan felt his heart race as a sense of dread washed over him. "The video's time stamped 4:37 pm. exactly the time when she supposedly jumped."

Logan didn't know what to say. 'That can't be Mom. It isn't possible. This is all just some sort of elaborate ruse. It has to be.' All he could do was shake his head, knowing that he couldn't keep lying to himself. He was grateful when Veronica took over.

"This footage better never make it out into public consumption." She felt her heart break for Logan. It was bad enough to actually see his mother's suicide on tape, but for the public to see it would be unbearable. He was so convinced that his mother was still alive. 'Well, at least he gets closure, no matter how unwanted the closure may be.'

"Don't worry about my boy Hart." Weevil assured his fellow classmates. "He knows that if that happens his last movie will be a snuff film- and he'll star in it, right? Come on." Weevil left the two alone to deal with this new information. He had to admit he felt bad for Logan. No matter how much he hated the kid no one deserved to lose their mother.

Now that the two were alone, Veronica was at a loss of what to say. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah. So am I." Her heart broke at his response. She wished there was something she could do for him but knew it was pointless. Her heart broke a little more as she watched her former friend stumble out of the room.

'I gotta get out of here. She wasn't supposed to be dead! She was the only one who knew the truth. The only one with the ability to stop Dad. Now she's gone and I have no one. I have nothing left.' He wanted to cry.

He had just made it out the doors of Neptune High on his way to his car when he heard Veronica calling his name behind him. He tried to ignore it, but she caught up with him. Realizing she wouldn't give up, Logan stopped and turned toward the girl.

"Your mom's missing credit card was just used." He stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to think. How could his mother be using her credit card when he had just seen the tape of her jumping off the bridge? He didn't know, but he was sure as hell going to find out.


	3. Chapter Three

Neither spoke a word as they rode to the hotel where Mrs. Echolls' missing credit card had been used that day. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a silence used to reflect on everything that happened in the last hour. It was overwhelming to think about. Just when they thought that Mrs. Echolls was dead they find out her credit card was used. Veronica wanted to believe the best but she was afraid they'd find a reasonable explanation and Logan would be disappointed again.

After talking to the hotel manager, she got all the information she needed.

'So, it's the Princess Suite we have to get into? Should be too hard.' Veronica said to herself. Turning to Logan, she stayed in detective mode. "All right, stay put. I'm gonna go talk to the maintenance guys." As she turned to leave, he stopped her.

"No. I think I can take it from here."

"No. I can get them to unlock the service elevator and we can just-."

"Nah. I've got a better idea. I'll just sit right here until my mother walks out of that elevator." With a look of determination, Logan sat on the couch facing the elevator, staring at it intensely.

Normally, she would have argued with him and explained that her idea was much more time efficient but she had a feeling he needed time to get his head together before the reunion. Besides, she wouldn't want someone to interfere with her own reunion with her mother so Logan probably didn't need her there for his. "So, I think I'm gonna head out. Promise me you'll call if you need anything?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine. See ya later." He dismissed her.

She nodded and headed to the door where she took one last look at Logan before going to her car.

She really didn't want to be there but she promised Meg she'd find her secret admirer. Now she was at a loss, having eliminated her two prime suspects and she was stuck at an 09er party.

"Veronica!"

She turned to find the source of the greeting. "Duncan, hey. What's up?"

"Do you know what's going on with Logan?"

Surprised Logan hadn't told Duncan what he was up to, she tried to be vague. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's camped out in a hotel lobby in LA."

"How do you know that?"

"I just talked to him."

She looked at her watch. It had been five hours since she had left him. "He's still there?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. "I'll take care of it."

Duncan watched in confusion as she whispered something to Meg and ran out the door.

'What the hell is going on?'

"So, how's the stakeout going?" she asked Logan after walking up behind him.

"She should be here soon."

Veronica rolled her eyes. Logan was always stubborn. "Okay, we did it your way, now we're going to do it mine."

"I liked my idea." He grumbled in response.

"You know, you can't sit here forever. What do you say we smoke her out?"


	4. Chapter Four

Hearing the bell of the elevator, the two look up to see a woman in a black hat and sunglasses walking out.

"That's her." Logan rushes over to the mysterious woman and spins her around. "Mom?"

"Oh. Hey, Logan. Did you just call me Mom? You okay, brother? You know Mom's gone, right?"

'And the reasonable explanation rears its ugly head. Poor Logan. Why didn't I think that his sister might also have access to his mom's cards?' Veronica berated herself.

"Oh, wow. You're supposed to be in Australia."

"Yeah that didn't quite work out." She replied turning her attention to the blonde next to her brother. "Veronica, hey!"

"Hey Trina." Veronica mumbled in response.

"So, is the whole brat pack here? What is this, like prom night? You guys get a room here for some after party? Oh, I've been kinda out of the loop lately. Are you two-." Trina started only to have Logan cut her off.

"Stop. You shut up." He was not appreciating his sister's implications. "You're wearing Mom's clothes, you're wearing Mom's hat."

"She was your mom. My step mom, the lady who liked to parade around the house in a string bikini whenever I had a boy over."

"Well, to be fair, when didn't you have a boy over?"

"Oh you."

"Dad could have used you there."

"So now you're worried about Dad's welfare? Isn't he the Big Bad Wolf? Cigarette burns and broken noses? Oh those stories you used to tell." She was taunting him. He had reached out to his sister for help and she ignored him. Thought he was making up stories. Now, she was using it to spit in his face. He was pissed.

"Wow we should get together and do this more often." He responded sarcastically hoping that she didn't see how much her jab had hurt him.

"Yeah, well you're in luck. I'm heading home now. I guess some accountant finally cancelled Mom's cards."

"But if you're coming home, who will play dead hooker number two on CSI this week? How will you get your attention fix?"

"Maybe I can be the ring girl at one of your bum fights."

Veronica could tell this conversation was quickly getting out of hand. If she didn't stop it, the two would probably come to blows. She had to get Logan out of there before he said or did something he would later regret. "You know what, should we get going, Logan?"

"Veronica, look at you. All grown up. Hey, we should hang out when I'm in town."

"Okay, yeah." Veronica answered, blowing Trina off, desperate to get Logan away from her. "Logan, come on, let's go."

She had started to pull him away from his sister and ignored the comment she called after them. Suddenly, Logan seemed to stumble and the next thing she knew he let out a sob. Her heart broke for Logan once again that day seeing his normally touch exterior crumble before her very eyes. Not knowing what else to do, she put her arms around him and felt him press against her, holding on to her for dear life as he mourned the death of his mother.

The car ride back to Neptune was as quiet as the ride to LA. This time though, it was due to Logan's sleeping. She was grateful that he had worn himself out with his breakdown. He needed all of the sleep he could get. After what seemed like forever, she finally pulled up to the Echolls' residence.

"Logan come on. We're at your house now. You need to wake up. I don't think I'll be able to carry you to your room."

After some incoherent mumbling, he allowed Veronica to pull him out of the car and led him to the guesthouse where they had played poker just weeks before. He was back asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Trying to make him more comfortable, she removed his shoes and placed the blanket over him. She stood next to him and watched him as he slept. He looked so peaceful that you wouldn't know to look at him that he had just lost his mother.

Then she thought back to the fight between Logan and Trina. She hadn't seen any cigarette burns on him but she knew his nose had been broken several times. It made her sick to think that Mr. Echolls could be responsible for it. She wondered if Lilly had known about the abuse but doubted it. Lilly would have told her if she suspected Logan was being abused. She wasn't one to sit back and let someone hurt one of her loved ones. She would have come to Veronica for help to expose Aaron's wrong doings.

All Veronica knew was that Logan shouldn't be alone. She wished she could stay with him but she knew it would probably be awkward between them if he found her there when he woke up the next morning. Not knowing whom else to call, she dialed Duncan's number. Without giving any details, she asked him to come over because Logan needed him. He showed up ten minutes later quietly demanding to know what was going on.

She led Duncan outside so they didn't wake Logan up. She explained about the video, the credit card and the confrontation with Trina. Veronica could tell that Duncan was extremely upset about being out of the loop with the whole investigation but he just thanked her for calling him and told her to go home, walking back into the guest house to his best friend.


	5. Chapter Five

Reviews make me smile!

Logan had been drinking ever since Duncan had left that afternoon. He didn't want to think about his dead mother anymore and he sure as hell didn't want to feel the way he felt when he thought about her. Alcohol was his way of filling the emptiness he felt inside of him. He hadn't felt this alone since Lilly's death. Sure, he was grateful that Duncan had been there when he woke up that morning, but nothing Duncan said to him gave him any comfort. He may have had experience with dealing with the loss of a loved one but he felt there was a big difference between losing a mother and losing a sister. Veronica did though. Her mom may still be alive, but if she wasn't having any contact with the woman, it's as good as being dead. Veronica. He needed to see Veronica.

Despite his drunken state, he headed over to Veronica's house. Not seeing her car, he assumed she was at her father's office. When he didn't see her car there, he was out of ideas. Then he had a vague recollection of some 80's dance at the school. Despite putting up the front of being anti Neptune High, he had a feeling that she might just be there. He stopped at home to change into appropriate attire for the dance then headed over to the school.

He hadn't intended on actually going into the gym, but something snapped inside of him when he saw Veronica contently dancing with some guy he had never seen before. Needless to say, his drunken state didn't help matters much.

She heard him before she saw him. She couldn't believe he had come. Twenty-four hours ago, he finally accepted that his mother was dead and now he was making a drunken ass of himself at the school dance. Realizing that Duncan wasn't attempting to stop him, Veronica knew it was up to her. She walked up to him and started pulling him towards the door. When he resisted, she pushed harder until they were out of the gym.

"Logan, you shouldn't be here in this condition."

"I wanted to see you. I figured I'd find you here." He looked behind her and saw the man she had been dancing with standing there listening in on their conversation. "Hey, who's this dude?"

Veronica turned around and found Leo behind her. She offered him an apologetic smile and turned back to her drunken former friend. "This is the friendly officer of the law who is going to overlook your underage public drunkenness."

Logan nodded, closing the space between them. With his lips mere millimeters from her ear he whispered, "He's too old for you, Ronnie. You could do a lot better than that."

Veronica involuntarily shivered at their closeness. Remembering Leo was right behind her, she gave Logan a light push and turned to Leo. "I'm really sorry about all of this. I really hate to do this after all you've done for me tonight but I think I should take him home. He just lost his mother and he's obviously not dealing with it. I'm so sorry. Can I get a rain check?"

Leo smiled at her sympathetically. "Definitely. Are you sure you're going to be okay with him?"

"Yeah. You don't have to worry about me. I carry my pepper spray wherever I go. Come on Logan, let's get you home."

She was hoping for a quiet ride to the Echolls' mansion but apparently, Logan had other plans. "Ronnie, why are you dating such an old guy?"

Veronica shook her head in exasperation. "First of all, he's not that old. There's only a twenty-nine month age difference between us. Second, we're not dating. He's just a guy I go out with on occasion."

"Either way, you could still do better."

She sighed. He was really irritating when he was drunk. "Leo's a great guy, besides I don't see a line forming of guys dying to date me."

"Just because there's no line, doesn't mean there's not a better option right in front of you."

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' Before she could question him, she heard a light snore coming from beside her and realized he had fallen asleep.

After going through the same ritual that she had the night before, Veronica sat in the chair facing Logan's bed and watched him sleep. At some point, she must have fallen asleep because he was awakened to the sound of her cell phone. She answered it quickly in hopes that it didn't wake Logan up. Luckily for her, it hadn't.

Twenty minutes later Duncan arrived as he had promised her when he phoned. After giving him a nod of acknowledgement, Veronica took one last look at Logan's sleeping form and headed to her car. The night had definitely not worked out the way she had planned.


	6. Chapter Six

When he walked into the reception area of Mars Investigations, he didn't see her. He knew she was there because he had seen her car parked out front so he figured wherever she was, she'd be back soon and he'd just wait for her. Making himself at home, he sat in her chair at her desk and proceeded to look through her things. Eventually, he looked at her computer and was intrigued by the folders on her desktop. Each folder was labeled with a name of someone he knew. He opened the file labeled 'Duncan' and was surprised to see the file detailed the connection between Duncan and his sister's murder. 'Epilepsy? Duncan doesn't have epilepsy.' Intrigued, he opened the other files and realized that all of the files were details about Lilly's murder. He was about to click on the final folder labeled 'Weevil' when he heard a woman walk out of Mr. Mars office. He assumed Veronica would be right behind her.

She walked out of her dad's office and was astonished to see him sitting at her desk, looking at her computer. He didn't look at her but he knew she was there. "What is it with the Mars family?" Veronica's eyes widened when she realized what he was looking at. With a rush of adrenalin, she ran over to Logan, shut her laptop and walked it over to the other desk.

At that moment, Logan knew he had stumbled onto Veronica's secret hobby, investigating his ex girlfriend's murder. It didn't make sense to him because the police already had the confessed murderer on death row. "God Veronica, do you really believe Lilly's murder was some sort of vast conspiracy?"

She rolled her eyes. He didn't know the half of it. "I don't know what you saw." She responded, attempting to sound innocent.

"A file on Duncan."

Veronica knew she was defeated and replied quietly, "There's a file on everyone."

"Yeah. It's thorough." He was really impressed with her attention to detail. "I'm glad my alibi held up." He really didn't need this Nancy Drew wannabe looking into his life. He kept things private for a reason.

"Out of the country, two eyewitnesses. It's airtight." She was grateful somebody's alibi held up because no one else's did.

"How would Lilly feel if she knew you were investigating the people she loved?"

"I loved Lilly. Maybe if I didn't I could let this go but I did, so I can't." Veronica explained as tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't do this. She wouldn't let Logan see her cry.

"Veronica, no one has ever questioned your love for Lilly. Anyone who saw the two of you together could see that you were like kindred spirits. I used to watch her when she was with you and I'd feel so jealous because I didn't have a friend like you in my life. Don't get me wrong, Duncan's great and all, but our friendship could never measure up to yours and Lilly's."

Logan's words caused her to break down. "I miss her so much." Veronica managed to get out between sobs.

Not knowing what else to do, he softly put his hands on her shoulders and gently guided her to the couch. When they were both seated he wrapped his arms around the crying girl and affectionately stroked her back in an effort to comfort her and whispered in her ear, "I know you do, Ronnie. So do I." He didn't see the slight smile that graced her lips at the use of his old nickname for her. They sat there holding each other, comforting each other, long after her sobs had subsided.

She didn't know what it was about being in Logan's arms but she couldn't remember the last time she felt as safe and protected as she did at that moment. She relished the newfound feelings and wished that time would stand still so they could stay how they were forever.

As if someone was reading her mind, the phone on the other side of the room began to ring and she felt like it was saying, "Screw you, Veronica Mars!" After a slight hesitation, she involuntarily let out a slight groan as she broke free from Logan's arms, rolling her eyes when she saw the smirk on Logan's lips. She got up quickly and answered the phone.

"Mars Investigations… No, he's not in at the moment… He's expected back tomorrow afternoon. Would you like to set up an appointment ... Okay, how about Wednesday at eleven… Sounds good. We'll see you then… Thanks, you too. Bye." After hanging up the phone, she wrote the appointment in her father's schedule.

Veronica looked over at the couch and found Logan sitting there starring at his hands in his lap, looking uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. She had to admit she found his to be a lot more attractive without the cocky smirk that usually adorned his face. Out of nowhere, she found herself looking at his lips and imagining what it would be like to kiss him. Lilly always told her that Logan was one of the few guys who really knew how to kiss.

'Snap out of it, Veronica! What's wrong with you? This is Logan you're thinking about here. _Lilly's_ Logan. Sure, he's hot but he's a jerk. He's been making your life a living hell for the past eighteen months and you're thinking about kissing him? Stop thinking about him like that!' Veronica berated herself. She shook her head to clear her mind and realized she had no idea why he was there in the first place.

"Logan, what are you doing here?"

The startled look on Logan's face quickly disappeared as he got up and walked over to the desk she was sitting at. "I just came to give you this," he explained as he held out the paper he had just retrieved from his pocket. Seeing the look of confusion on Veronica's face as she unfolded the paper he added, "it's for looking for my mother and to say thank you."

She had never seen him that serious before and looking at the amount on the check realized that he had given her serious money. The check could easily cover a semester at UCLA and considering all of the money she had saved for college had gone to paying for her mother's alcohol rehabilitation, this check was a God send. She looked up to see Logan staring at her, obviously waiting for some kind of response. Looking back down at the check, she felt some tugging at her heart. She couldn't accept this money from him. She hadn't found Mrs. Echolls, she had just pulled Logan out of his state of denial. Without another thought, she refolded the check and tore it up. Looking up, Veronica saw the look of confusion in Logan's eyes. "Your mom was always nice to me. Even after Lilly's death she was one of the only people that didn't ostracize my family."

Veronica knew that she didn't need to say anymore. The look on Logan's face told her he understood. She almost thought she saw a glimpse of remorse when she mentioned that most of the town had snubbed her family, but she quickly told herself she was reading too much into it. Then, after giving her a nod and a slight smile, he turned and walked out of her father's office.


	7. Chapter Seven

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys are awesome! Btw, in my story, Logan had nothing to do with the drugs that led to her rape.

He was sitting at his usual lunch table with the 09ers when out of the corner of his eye he saw her walking towards him with a nervous but determined look on her face. She was about twenty feet from her destination when she stopped to collect herself. She nervously ran her fingers through her hair, putting it behind her ears and took a deep breath. 'Come on Veronica, you can do this. You need to find out when a certain ticking time bomb is going to go off' giving herself a pep talk. Having significantly calmed her nerves, she forced a smile and resumed her walk to the enemy table. It really was hard to believe that she considered these people her friends only eighteen months ago.

When she arrived at the table, all eyes focused on her demanding to know why she would dare to come over to their side uninvited. Logan was the first to break the silence. "You just can't stay away from me, can you Mars? It's cool though. I understand. I mean, look at me. No one can resist me." He smirked when he heard the other 09ers chuckling.

Veronica rolled her eyes but gave Logan the sweetest smile she could manage. "You're right, Logan. I can't resist you. In fact, that's what I need to talk to you about. I just got back from the doctor's and it seems the last time I was unable to resist you, you were unable to resist giving me something in return." She said as she patted her stomach.

Logan smirked at Veronica and realized that his friends were all being unusually quiet. He looked around the table. Seeing the horrified looks of his friends, he rolled his eyes in disbelief. Duncan finally spoke up. "Man, how could you?"

Logan rolled his eyes again unable to believe that his best friend not only thought he slept with his ex girlfriend, but knocked her up too. Then again, there was never anything rational or logical about Duncan's thinking when Veronica was involved. "Duncan man, she's kidding. Right Veronica? Tell Duncan you were kidding."

"Sorry guys but I need to talk to Daddy here." Veronica replied, grabbing Logan's hand and dragging him into the school and into the deserted newspaper room.

Normally Logan wouldn't have minded being dragged to an empty classroom by a beautiful girl, but he had a feeling Veronica had no intentions of doing what the other girls did. 'Too bad.'

"I'd like to know when you plan on telling Duncan and everyone how psycho or at least unhealthily obsessed I am. I'd like to be prepared." Veronica stated, breaking the silence of the two in the empty room.

"Your secret's safe with me, Ronnie. I understand how you feel. I want Lilly's killer to pay too, but he's already behind bars. You're just wasting your time."

"My life changed the night Lilly died. Everyone's did. You lost your girlfriend, Duncan lost his sister and the Kanes lost their daughter. But I, I lost everything. My best friend died and all of my friends turned their backs on me. My parents tried to help me cope but they didn't know or love Lilly the way I did. Then my dad loses his job and he didn't have much time for me. I come home from school one day and I find out my mom's left without an explanation or a clue to her destination. So, I'm left to deal with my best friend's death on my own.

Not only that, but I get to go to a school where people who I once considered my friends go out of their way to make my life a living hell. But, I can't let them see how much they hurt me so I decide to show up at one of their parties uninvited and unwelcome. Hey, it's okay though because I got put in my place when I woke up the next morning without my underwear or any memory of the night. But, I don't need the memories of that night because I know what happened. Someone slipped a roofie in my drink and raped me. Do you know what happened when I went to report it to the Sheriff? He accused me of lying and forced me to leave. I haven't talked about it since. Who else could I talk to? The only person I could go to was my dad and he had enough to deal with without worrying about finding his daughter's rapist. That's when I promised myself that I wouldn't let anyone hurt me like that again. So don't you stand there and tell me you know how I feel because you don't know anything!"

She hadn't meant to get that worked up and she definitely hadn't intended to pour out eighteen months of pent up heartache, especially not to Logan. Nevertheless, she almost felt relieved about finally letting everything out. The weight on her shoulders since Lilly's death had been slightly lifted. She looked up at Logan to gauge his reaction to her rant. He just stood there staring at her not knowing how to respond to this girl's heartfelt confession.

"I- I- I didn't know." He finally managed to stutter out.

Rolling her eyes, she responded, "Let's be honest here Logan. Even if you had known, you wouldn't have cared."

"How can you say that? We've been friends for five years! Of course I care."

"We were never friends Logan. You always saw me as your best friend's girlfriend or your girlfriend's best friend. Once Duncan broke up with me and Lilly died, to you, I was nobody."

"You're wrong. I did care about you. I still care about you. How could I not? You meant so much to the two people who meant the world to me."

"Well, you have a funny way of showing it."

Feeling both frustrated that she didn't believe him and desperate to make her believe him, Logan stepped towards her and stopped mere inches from her and put his hands on her cheeks. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when Lilly died. I was so wrapped up in my own pain that I didn't even consider the fact that there were other people who were hurting just as much as I was. I'm also sorry for turning all of your friends against you. I was just so angry at you for telling Lilly about the kiss and I was so sure that if you hadn't she'd still be alive. I know how terrible this sounds but I want to be honest with you. For several months after Lilly's death, I blamed you for her death. I just needed someone to blame and you were the easiest target. I know that you're no more responsible for her death than I am. God, Ronnie. You'll never know how sorry I am for that."

Seeing the tears in his eyes Veronica knew he was being sincere. All she intended to do was ask him when he was going to tell Duncan she's investigating Lilly's murder. She hadn't anticipated any of this. She sighed. "It's okay Logan. It's all in the past. Let's just forget about it." She removed his hands from her face and walked toward the door.

"Wait. That's it? Come on, I know you want to hit me or something. Go ahead. I deserve it."

She turned to face him and gave him a sad smile. "I don't think I have to. You'll do more damage beating yourself up than anything I could do." He nodded and she turned towards the door and left, leaving Logan alone in the classroom with his thoughts.


	8. Chapter Eight

Thank you guys so much for reviewing! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. lol. Keep doing so because that's what keeps me going (actually my addiction to the show keeps me going but reviews don't hurt).

As the final bell of the day rang throughout Neptune High, Veronica walked slowly to her car feeling emotionally drained from her conversation with Logan only a few hours earlier. All she wanted to do now was go home, slip on her PJs and sleep. Just as she reached her car, she heard someone yelling her name behind her. She groaned when she saw who it was. She was so not in the mood right now.

"Hey Veronica. I was worried I'd missed you."

"Nope, I'm still here. Was there something you needed Duncan? I'm kinda in a hurry." She looked him in the eye and she could tell whatever it was he wanted to talk to her about was making him nervous. She sighed. This was going to take forever. "Duncan, whatever it is just say it."

After a slight hesitation, he nodded. "What's going on between you and Logan? I've noticed you guys have been spending a lot of time together and you always seem to be with him when he needs someone. I know you guys aren't friends and I was just wondering what was up."

'He can't be serious. Why would he ask me this? Logan's his best friend; he's the one that should be subjected to Duncan's lame attempt at an interrogation.'

"Well, you know that after his mother's suicide he refused to believe that she would kill herself so he came to me in hopes of finding her. We were together so much because I was looking into it and Logan was very persistent about knowing my progress at all times. All the times you saw us together I was just giving him updates on the investigation."

Duncan nodded, "Yeah, I knew all that, but you found that video that showed her jumping off the bridge a month ago so the case should be closed. It doesn't explain the last month."

At that moment, Veronica would have given anything for a distraction. Looking past Duncan, she smiled knowing that the Gods were on her side for the moment.

"Hey Veronica." Meg greeted her friend before turning to her boyfriend and giving him a peck on the cheek. "Duncan, we have to go. The movie starts in twenty minutes."

"I know, I just have to talk to Veronica for a minute. Can you-."

"Duncan you should really get going. Don't want to be late, the previews are the best part of going to the movies. Besides, we were finished here anyway. Enjoy the show." Veronica quickly interrupted. Before he could say another word, she was in her car. With a quick wave at the couple, she peeled out of the parking lot.

"Come on, let's go Duncan." Meg said, grabbing her boyfriend's hand to lead him over to his car.

'Well that was a total bust.' Duncan thought. 'I guess I'll have to talk to Logan about this after all. I guess I'll have to find him first.' The last time he saw his best friend was when his ex girlfriend dragged him off to be alone. 'I wonder what that was about.'

Logan groaned and threw his Xbox controller on the ground. He had hoped that playing a video game would distract him enough so he could stop his thoughts of Veronica. He didn't know why he thought it would actually work today when the idea had failed so many times over the past month. It was useless.

Veronica never ceased to amaze him. Like the time he made comments about her mom being an alcoholic and she put a bong in his locker, leaving an anonymous tip, which resulted in a locker search and his arrest. But most of all, her compassion was what amazed him. She had been there for him when he needed her the most. She agreed to help him find his mother, no questions asked, despite all of the cruel things he had said and done to her in the past. That's just the way she was. She could never turn down someone in need. She just didn't have it in her.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Logan, it's Duncan. Open up." Logan walked to his door, unlocked it and sat back down as Duncan let himself in. "I didn't see you after lunch today. Where were you?"

"I ducked out after lunch. Didn't do the homework for sixth period."

If it was anyone but Logan Echolls who said this to him, Duncan might have been inclined to believe them and move on, but the fact that it was Logan told him it was a lie. "So it had nothing to do with whatever went on between you and Veronica at lunch today?"

Logan sighed. He really didn't feel like discussing this with Duncan. "No, I just told you why I left."

"Whatever. What's going on between you two anyway?"

"Nothing."

This time Duncan sighed. "Yeah, that's what she said too."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Then why'd you ask me?"

"I didn't believe her and I thought you would tell me the truth, considering you're my best friend, but you lied to me too."

Okay, now Logan was pissed. "I'm not lying!"

"Well then, you're just lying to yourself, man. I see the way you look at her and it's the same way she looks at you. Denying it won't make it go away."

"You really think she likes me?"

"Yeah, I do. Listen, I know you've had a crush on her since you moved here. I don't mind. I'm with Meg now and I know how miserable you've been since Lilly died. She may not seem like the same old Veronica, but she's under there somewhere. You might just have to dig a little."

"The old Veronica was your Veronica. I just thought she was hot. This Veronica, the spunky little blond that doesn't put up with anyone's shit, is the one I like."

Duncan smiled as he clapped his hand on his best friend's shoulder. "If Lilly were still alive I bet she'd be really proud of you. She'd also be glad you were taking care of her best friend. I'm gonna head out now. Meg and I are having dinner with her parents tonight."

"Alright. I'll see you later, man."

"Yeah, later." With that, Duncan left Logan alone to plan his next move.


	9. Chapter Nine

Thank you guys soooo much for the great reviews! You guys are awesome. Sorry for the 42 day delay. I don't really have an excuse for it, but I am sorry. I hope it was worth the wait! Btw, after watching the pilot for the first time since the finale, I have to say I'm really amazed with the transformation Logan has gone through from the pilot to the finale. I heart him!

* * *

He had been pacing the patio of the high school for the past hour trying to work up the nerve to make the phone call. He couldn't believe he was about to ask Veronica Mars out. After the talk with Duncan the previous night, he had decided to stop lying to himself, accept his feelings for her, and act on them. Taking a deep breath, he dialed the number that had become so familiar to him over the last several weeks.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, it's Logan."

She smiled at his obvious nervousness. "Yeah. I recognized your voice and I have this new invention called caller ID," she lightheartedly responded.

'Duh. I'm so dumb. Good call there Logan. Make her think you're a complete idiot.' He silently berated himself.

"So, what's up?" she questioned, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh right. I was wondering if you had any plans for this Friday night."

"Why Logan Echolls, are you asking me out?"

"Maybe. Depends on what your answer is."

"Well, I did plan on washing my hair all night."

"Hey, I don't mind helping you out with that." He flirted.

"How sweet of you to offer."

He hears a car door open and her phone drop.

"Oh my God, what do you think you're doing?" He froze, hearing the panic in her voice.

Then he hears an unknown male reply, "Let's go for a ride."

Not knowing what else to do, Logan ran as fast as he could to his car while listening intently to the conversation, praying to God he was given a clue to where he was taking her. He let out a breath he was unaware he had been holding when he heard the Camelot. That was only ten minutes away. Logan made it in five. The entire drive swearing that if that bastard laid a finger on her, he would rip him apart. He was overjoyed when he didn't see her car in the parking lot. He quickly exited his yellow T-bird and ran up the stairs to the second level of the hotel, knowing that was where he would have the best view of the parking lot.

He was only standing there for a few minutes when he saw her car pull up. The passenger's side door opened the second that car stopped and he saw a boy he didn't recognize jump out of the car, run to the driver's side door, open it and pull Veronica out. He could tell she was struggling to get out of his grasp. They mystery man dragged her up the stairs as Logan ran over to intercept them.

The guy had his attention focused on Veronica so he didn't even see Logan coming. One minute he was saying something to her the next he was on the ground being pummeled.

Veronica had never been so scared in her life. She thought for sure that this was the end of the line for her and she would be reunited with Lilly very soon. Logan was her only chance for survival. She prayed that he had heard her conversation with Ben and came to save her. She was so relieved when she pulled into the parking lot and saw his familiar yellow T-bird. The last time she had seen Logan that angry was at the hotel during his fight with Trina.

Logan wanted to kill this guy. Each time his fist connected with the guy's face, he felt better and better and he didn't have any intentions of stopping until the guy was unconscious at the very least.

Seeing the wallet on the ground, her curiosity got the better of her and she picked it up. She gasped when she saw what was inside. 'Ben was a federal agent? What is he doing at Neptune? Oh God, Logan was assaulting a federal agent!'

"Logan, stop." Keeping Ben pinned to the ground, he turned to Veronica, waiting for a good explanation as to why he should stop beating the guy who had pretty much just kidnapped her. "He's a federal agent." She explained, showing him the badge. Having no idea of what was happening, Logan stood up, roughly grabbed the agent, pulling him to his feet.

Ben staggered the few feet to his door, unlocked it and threw himself onto the hotel bed. He watched as Veronica and his assailant came in, shutting the door behind him.

Veronica went straight to the bathroom in search of a damp cloth to clean Ben up while Logan paced uncomfortably by the window. Coming out of the bathroom, she handed Ben the damp cloth. "You're undercover at Neptune High?" she asked incredulously.

"Is it alright if he goes outside?" Ben asked, indicating Logan. "I'd like to talk to you."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Dream on, Jump Street. There's no way I'm leaving you alone with her."

His overprotection of her made her heart smile. With the exception of her dad every day, she couldn't remember the last time someone had been so concerned for her safety. As good as it felt, she knew if she wanted any information from Ben, she would have to get Logan to leave.

She walked right up to him and said as gently as possible, "Logan, he's the real thing. Just give us a moment, all right?"

Against his better judgment, he reluctantly agreed. "Fine. Don't close the door all the way. I'll be right out here."

He could care less what they were talking about. He just wanted her to be safe. He hated that he wasn't in there with her. Glancing at his watch for the tenth time he wondered what was taking her so long.

Veronica was having a hard time digesting all of this new information as she stepped out of Ben's room. Logan immediately interrupted her thoughts.

"You okay?"

She nodded, all thoughts of Ben and Norris disappearing as she looked at Logan and saw the concern written all over his face. Logan had saved her. He risked his own safety to ensure hers. She didn't know what to say to him or how she could begin to thank him. She hesitated for a brief second then leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

He was taken aback when he realized she had just kissed him. They looked into each other eyes not knowing what to say or do next. Veronica broke the eye contact first when she turned to walk away. He couldn't let her go. This may be his only chance to act on his growing feelings for her.

He grabbed her arm, pulling her flush against him and kissed her. It was unlike any kiss she'd experienced before. She felt her insides melt with each passing second. Unfortunately, the need for air forced them apart and they stared into each other's eyes while gasping for breath. It was then that the reality of the situation hit her.

Logan, having sufficiently caught his breath, leaned in once more but before his lips could make contact, he felt her little hands on his chest as she pushed him away from her. His surprised expression quickly changed to one of confusion. "What's wrong?"

Veronica bit her lip nervously, then took a deep breath, "This is wrong. We shouldn't- no, we can't do this. I'm so sorry Logan." Without giving him a chance to respond, she spun around and walked quickly to her car.

"Veronica wait! Come on! Can't we talk about this?" Logan desperately called after her, but she kept walking and as she drove away, she did her best to disregard the tears sliding down her face and the aching in her chest.

* * *

A/N I was watching E! News and Kristin (the TV chick) was talking to the cast of VM about who was at the door. Kristin guessed that it is Duncan and she did predict Lilly's killer correctly. Honestly, unless it's Logan, which I highly doubt, I don't think it will necessary be a big deal. After everything she went through in the finale, she'd probably be happy to see anyone as long as it wasn't Aaron or Lianne. But, that's just my opinion. 


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